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The Itaewon district of Seoul, a vibrant hotspot for international tourism in South Korea, is now the site of a horrific national tragedy: the devastating Halloween stampede. Surging through the narrow streets and back alleys, victims caught in the festivities were helplessly crushed by the dense crowd. Respondents recorded nearly 300 casualties on-site of the crowd crush; 151 civilians were reportedly killed in the chaos. Severe bleeding, fractures, and blue skin characterized the trampled victims surrounding the Hamilton Hotel.
What incited the sudden stampede? Well, the historical reputation of the Itaewon district is partly to blame. Before the Second World War, the district was largely residential, housing scores of Japanese colonials; however, as the area became occupied by American soldiers in wartime, Itaewon transformed into the blooming commercial hub it is today. As a landmark for foreign culture, the neighborhood houses many upscale restaurants serving international cuisine, war memorials, nightclubs, and Western holiday festivals. With 2022 marking the first year free of the coronavirus pandemic, the Halloweekend event had record-breaking attendance.
After the tragedy the victims and their family members went through, more information about the event surfaced on the internet. Security camera footage and police records showed dozens of emergency calls before the crush began and the futile attempts of local police officers to redirect foot traffic away from the crowded alley. Later, the South Korean Police chief admitted that not enough was done to alleviate the situation and that partygoers expressed concern over four hours before the first casualties. Young Ook Kim, an expert on crowd control from South Korea’s Sejong University, stated that such a situation is the most straightforward scenario that police should be able to deal with.